


When Worlds Collide

by ExcellentlyEllen



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-01-20 18:14:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1520570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExcellentlyEllen/pseuds/ExcellentlyEllen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, the time Felicity's friend from college drops by Starling for a visit. And meets Oliver...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friendly Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something floating around in my mind.. might get some more chapters, if there is enough interest in it!
> 
> (also, no beta so every and all mistakes are my own..)
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> disclaimer: I do not own Arrow. Unfortunatly I still have to work for a living...

**Chapter One: Friendly Visitor**

"What time does your plane land?" … "No, so I can leave you standing in the arrival hall like a moron! Of course to pick you up! You're my best friend and I haven't seen you in forever! You work too much."… "I do not! I swear to you Wings, I will kick your ass if you ever say that to me again!." … "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll see you at 6 then." … "I'll bring a banner, or a megaphone. Or both." … "Bye."

She hangs up, big smile plastered on her face and turns to Oliver, who's been standing in the doorway of her office for the last 5 minutes. He looks… annoyed… or constipated, those two faces really look alike.

"Need something boss-man?" she asks him, still grinning like an idiot. "Yeah.. uhm... those documents on the Ferris deal, I need to look them over before the meeting." She turns her chair around to grab the folder she'd been meaning to give him half an hour ago, before the phone call. "Sorry, I was planning to bring them to you, but then…" she waves her hand vaguely at her phone, while shrugging. "I got interrupted."

"I noticed. I've been trying to get your attention for at least 10 minutes. So… who was that?" He tries to make the question nonchalant, but there is something in his tone that suggests he's not at all as detached as he would like her to believe. She tilts her head a little, trying to size him up, but his face is carefully neutral.

"An old college friend, who's visiting Starling on business and a little catching up. Speaking of, I'm taking off a little early today if you don't mind, got to go to the airport."

She looks at him with those big blue eyes, and what is he supposed to say? No? You can't go pick up your friend because I'm scared about this stupid meeting and if you're not here to help me focus I might screw this up beyond compare? So he does what he does best. Plasters a smile on his face and says: "Of course you can go." He turns around and heads to his office, smile long forgotten.

Since Oliver has to attend some or other gala for god-knows-what there is no Arrow business tonight either. So she makes dinner reservations at Table Salt for her and her friend. Sometimes she didn't mind being Oliver's EA, because when she calls, she always gets a table.

* * *

 

At 4 she takes her bag and heads out of her office. Oliver is still in the Ferris meeting, and it looks like it might take a while. She steps into his office and writes him a little note, not wanting to leave without saying goodbye.

Oliver, thanks for the night off! Have 'fun' at the gala, try to stay for at least an hour, you do have an image to uphold. Call me if there is an emergency, but only if it's life and death!  
G-W

She took to signing notes for him with G-W, because she still thought it was funny (although not at that time), him calling her Girl-Wednesday instead of Friday. It became a joke of sorts between them, one that often left other people standing and staring at them with raised eyebrows. But she didn't mind, she and Oliver were friends and as such, were entitled to certain inside-jokes.

She got at the airport at 5.45, which left her enough time to stop at the coffee shop and buy herself a tall mocha something or other, and her friend a plain black coffee with 2 sugars. And they called her boring. She snorts.

She was standing in the middle of the arrival hall, looking around slowly, trying to spot her friend before she was spotted herself. She knew that was impossible because her friend had eyesight like an eagle and she… did not. All of a sudden, a hand covers her face, and a familiar voice whispers in her ear. "Where is my banner?." She jumps a little, but really she shouldn't be surprised her friend got the drop on her, it always happened. But since she was training with Oliver and John, she'd hoped she wouldn't be caught so off guard this time.

She turns around slowly, a huge grin spreading across her face, and hands over the coffee. They walk out of the airport side by side, talking about everything the other has missed in the years they were separated. It really felt like old times.

* * *

 

After dropping off the luggage, and her friend trying to convince her that a hotel would have been just as fine; they went to dinner.

"You know, I'm sure my billionaire boss has a nice spot in the IT department for a genius programmer like yourself. I could pull a few strings, get you an interview." Felicity looks up at her friend. "Well, I already have a billionaire boss and even though I'm not all that pleased with the EA thing, I love working at QC and I would never leave my friend like that." Her friend looks pensive at that for a minute. "You're right, I shouldn't have suggested. But, if you ever change your mind, there is enough room in Gotham for 2 brilliant minds, and Wayne Enterprises would be lucky to have you."

After that, they went back to talking about everything and nothing. Not wanting to go home just yet, she takes her friend to the one place she knows will let her in, no matter what; and give her free drinks on top of that. So she suggests Verdant to end their night with. They dance and drink ("Okay, just one more, I mean in Wings, I have a meeting in the morning and don't need a hangover as well!" "Don't be a baby Smoak, just drink!") and generally have a good time.

All of a sudden she feels a hand on her shoulder, and turns around. Looking straight into Oliver Queen's very displeased face. "What are you doing here Felicity, you said you were going to hang out with your old friend from college." He shoots an angry look at the man she was dancing with. She smiles up at him and says: "I am." She pulls Oliver a little closer. "Oliver, meet my friend Wings; or as other people might call him; Richard Grayson."


	2. Fraternizing With The Enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I already posted 4 chapters on Fanfiction, I'll add all 4 here to, for your entertainment only!
> 
> Enjoy

 

**Chapter Two; Fraternizing With The Enemy**

"You never told me he was… well, a him." She quirks an eyebrow at that statement. "Why does that matter? He is still my friend from college, regardless of his gender." She sighs and shakes her head while stepping out of the elevator and into her office. "Regardless of what Harry said to Sally, men and woman can, in fact, be friends." She points between the two of them and says "Case and point."

Felicity hangs her coat over her chair and sits down, looking up at Oliver, who is just really frustrating this morning. "Richard has been my friend since he tackled me on the courtyard in our freshman year of college." That made Oliver's eyes narrow, just a fraction.

"Do you often become best friends with people who tackle you out of the blue?" he asks her, with an incredulous look on his face. She looks at him in silence for just a minute, before saying "Really? You really just asked me that question? Because I've got 2 very big, very blue bruises on my back from the last time you tackled me." She shakes her head, and holds up her hand to stop him from talking. "Yes Oliver, I am aware of the fact that you do that to teach me self-defense, and I'm just a bad student. But, Wings saved me that day from being beheaded by a runaway model airplane. So in short, yes, I frequently become best friends with people who tackle me."

And with that, she put on her headphones and turned to her computer screen, effectively ending the conversation. Oliver turned around while muttering "What the hell kind of stupid nickname is 'wings' anyway" and went to his desk. He needed to do some research on this Grayson character. He did not like the way that smug SOB looked at his EA and friend. So he opened his browser and googled the man.

* * *

 

Felicity was startled when her printer started printing all of a sudden. She hadn't given a command to print, so she assumed Oliver had messed up his printer settings again. She went over to the machine, intending to pick up the paper and reprimand Oliver about tinkering with the settings, and froze when she saw what was printed.

**Richard Grayson newly appointed head of Wayne Enterprises Applied Sciences Division**

She picked up the paper to read some more.

_Structural changes within the Wayne Enterprises directorial staff led to the promotion of Lucius Fox, former head of the applied sciences division to CTO. This left an opening as head of the R &D branch of Wayne Enterprises. CEO Bruce Wayne appointed Richard Grayson to be in charge of the division._

_Richard Grayson who was orphaned at a very young age, grew up in the circus until the age of 16 when he met Bruce Wayne. Grayson quickly became the protégé of Wayne, receiving the best education and graduating from MIT at the top of his class. He went on to work at Wayne Enterprises as a engineer, slowly working his way up in the R &D department. Grayson has stated that he is grateful and excited for this chance to prove himself._

The article went on about other changes within Wayne Enterprises but she felt Oliver's eyes burning a hole in the back of her head, so she stopped reading and walked into his office. She put the article in front of him, pointed at it and simply said "Explain."

"I… uhm… just wanted to know who the guy was. And by the way, you should have told me he was with Wayne Enterprises, they are our biggest competition for the Ferris deal. This is a conflict of interest Felicity, you can't fraternize with the enemy." He knew it was the wrong thing to say, as soon as he said it. Smooth move Oliver he thought to himself.

"Oliver Queen, you listen to me very carefully, because I will only say this once. Richard Grayson is my friend. He's been my friend for years. I don't care who he is employed by, because that is irrelevant to our friendship. And if you value the friendship between you and me, I suggest you stop snooping and butt out!"

She turned on her heels and stalked into her office, grabbing her coat from the back of her chair. "Where are you going?!" he yelled after her. She stopped, glared her evil-glare-of-death at him and said "OUT!" before stepping into the elevator and disappearing.

* * *

 

She met up with Richard at the little bistro down the street form QC, still totally pissed off by what Oliver had said. _Fraternizing with the enemy_ , she snorted. Like he did, with Helena? And again in Russia with Isabel. He really is one to talk! And besides, she knew Richard before he worked for Wayne and before she worked for QC.

"He really said that? Wow, that's .. just wow. So I take it you didn't mention that you used to spend your holidays at Wayne Manor. Or that you're on Bruce's Christmas card list?" He looked at her, just a little amusement in his eyes. "I'm glad one of us finds this funny." She grumbles while picking up the menu. Yelling at Oliver always made her hungry.

They placed their order, but shifted their conversation away from business and bosses and more towards personal lives. "So, last time we talked you said something about meeting a guy. How's that working out for you?" he asked her, taking a sip of his wine. "He's in a coma." "Wow, Tiny, what did you do to the poor guy to end him up in a coma."

But before she could answer, the door opened and in walked Oliver. Their eyes locked, and her face turned into an angry frown. "Felicity, can I please talk to you for a minute. In private." he said, while looking pointedly at Richard. She was just about to decline his 'offer' when Richard's phone went off. He gave his friend an apologetic look and went to take the call outside.

Oliver took his seat across from Felicity, took a deep breath and started. "Look, I went a little overboard earlier." She raised an eyebrow when he said 'a little' but otherwise kept her mouth shut. "I'm just really stressed about this Ferris deal, and our other endeavors and…" She sighed and said "It's fine Oliver, already forgotten." But he could hear the disappointment in her voice. And that stung him even more than her yelling. He got up from the seat, turned to walk away, but stopped. There was one thing really bugging him still.

"So, why do you call him 'wings'?" She looked up and he saw the disappointment in her eyes fade, a faraway smile replacing it. "When I met him, he was working on a flight-suit, it was a project for his aerodynamics class. It looked like wings. And he tried to test it once, jumping of the roof of our dorm. Luckily for him he's an acrobat and there was a tree, because otherwise that would have been really disastrous. The name sort of stuck."

Well, that cleared that up nicely…


	3. Missions And Mystery Hacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So .. this sort of happened... I don't know how.. or why.. but it did.

**Chapter Three: Missions And Mystery Hacks**

Oliver walked out the door at the same time Richard entered again. The two men grunted at each other, and kept walking. When Richard arrived at the table, with a very apologetic look on his face, she knew their lunch was over. "I'm sorry Cookie, that was the big man on the phone. So, rain check for lunch?" She nodded and he kissed her on the cheek before walking out of the bistro.

She took her lunch to go, and headed back towards the QC tower. The fact that her walk back took her about twice as long as usual, was a clear sign that she really didn't want to go to her office. After the morning she had had, she really wasn't in the mood for being the object of Oliver's brooding. But when she got out of the elevator, it wasn't Oliver who drew her attention. That honor befell the man standing in her office, strawberry milkshake in hand and a smile on his face.

John always seemed to know when she needed somebody to talk to. Sure, Oliver had once said she could always talk to him about her day; but she couldn't very well complain about Oliver to Oliver himself. So when it was one of _those_ days (like most), she turned to John. He could always calm her down, make her see things from another perspective. And the fact that he usually agreed with her about Oliver being a moron was just icing on the cake.

* * *

By the time John left, she was feeling better. She'd just started to look at the notes from the Ferris meeting when Oliver walked into her office. She turned to her 'boss' and was just about to ask what he wanted; when the elevator dinged and Richard stepped out. "Cookie! I need a favor!" She turned away from Oliver and towards Richard, while Oliver rolled his eyes and sighed. "Sure Wings, name it."

"I need you to go with me to this fundraiser thing I have to go to tonight. It would look utterly ridiculous if a handsome and intelligent guy like me didn't have the proper amount of arm-candy with him." She had to stifle a burst of laughter, because of the look Oliver was giving her. _Oh boy_ she thought, _this is not going to go well._ Oliver turned to face Richard, that obviously forced smile across his face.

"The thing is _Dick_ , she's not available tonight, because she's going to the fundraiser with me." Richard's smile faltered a bit, and he looked between Oliver and Felicity for a moment, trying to find the underlying meaning of his statement.

"Wings, I usually go with Oliver to these kinds of things. After all, there has to be somebody who makes sure he doesn't try to make a run for it." Oliver bristled at that statement, but decided to let it go, because he'd already pissed her off enough today. "I'm sorry Wings, You'll have to fly solo tonight. But, save a dance for me will you?"

* * *

At 7 pm Oliver picked Felicity up at her house. If Richard found it strange they left at such an early hour, he didn't mention it.

They drove to the foundry, to make sure everybody knew what the plan was for tonight. The event was hosted by Oswald Cobblepot, the Gotham billionaire who bought up most of MGG after The Undertaking. Felicity had strong suspicions he was secretly working with Malcolm Merlyn, but there was no concrete evidence. The event they were going to was the perfect opportunity to gather intel on the man and his operations.

Felicity and Oliver were going in together and mingle a bit. After about half an hour Sara was to storm in, drunk off her ass and start yelling at Oliver for dumping her and just generally making a big scene. That was the moment Felicity would sneak off to the server room to copy files and plant a bug. Sara would get kicked out and her an Oliver would leave, apologizing profusely about the disturbance. Roy would be attending with Thea and be the second man inside, in case anything went wrong. Diggle was on lookout duty.

It was a solid plan. When Sara came in Felicity snuck into the server room and got to cracking. The hack was to easy, so she went snooping a little deeper, to find what was going on. "Guys, we have a problem. Someone's been here already."

* * *

About 2 hours after they went to the party they were back at the foundry. The rest of the plan had gone off without a hitch. They had the intel they needed and the virus was planted on the drives. But, the other hack was bothering them.

Felicity started working, trying to find a signature or something that would identify the other hacker. It took her more time than it should have, but when she found what she was looking for, she was stumped. She should have known.

* * *

Telling her team she needed a little bit of fresh air, she walked out the side of the building, and dialed her phone. He picked up on the first ring. Before he got a chance to speak, she started. "Was it you?" It took a while before the response came. "Yes…"

"Why?"

"Cobblepot has been on our radar for a while now. We believe he's the leader of a particularly violent gang responsible for about 60% of the drug-trade in Gotham. And that's just the drugs. He's also got his hands in weapons and intel trading. Felicity, he's bad news; so why are you involved?"

"I think it's time you meet my boss. How fast can you get to Verdant?" She waited for his response and went back inside. When she got back, she found Sara and Diggle sparring, Oliver on the salmon ladder and Roy was trying (and failing) to hit a moving target.

She stepped up to Oliver and cleared her throat. "Oliver, I think we need to talk. All of us. I've got something to tell you." He dropped of the ladder, looking expectant and called for the rest to join them.

"So, the other hack, i… uhm… I found who's it was. I know that hack. In fact, I helped create that hacker." She took a deep breath, trying to stop her heart from beating out of her chest. They all stared at her, waiting for the explanation following that confession. She opened her mouth again to speak when all of a sudden another voice sounded in the basement.

* * *

"I take offence to that! You did not teach me that much. But man, you do have some sweet equipment down here." They all looked up, ready to fight whoever broke into their base, but Felicity simply stepped towards the stranger and hugged him. "Guys, I really didn't want this to get complicated but, meet Nightwing... better known as Richard Grayson."

You could hear a pin drop at that statement. All four of her friends gaped at her with open mouths and incredulous looks on their faces. Richard was just grinning like a moron, inspecting his surroundings some more.

"Don't I get an introduction?" another voice boomed through the lair. Felicity squealed excitedly and ran towards the new voice. She flung her arms around him and hugged him tight. "Of course you do! People, meet Gotham City's protector, Batman. More commonly known as Bruce Wayne. Or, if you are me, you could just call him uncle."

It was like the world stopped spinning at that time. None of her friends so much as blinked. They might as well have been statues. But in the background she heard Richard mutter: _"_ This billionaire/playboy/vigilante trick you guys pull, really isn't all that original, you know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. this left me with so many questions...
> 
> I hope the story-fairy is nice enough to come up with the answers as wel...
> 
> fingers crossed!


	4. Arrow-cave Tug Of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of the credit for this chapter goes to 1booklover11 (Fanfiction screen name). Thank you for guiding me into the weird and awesome world of comic books, I bow to your superiority :) 
> 
> Thanks for letting me bounce ideas of off you, this chapter would not excist the way it does if it weren't for you.
> 
> Hope you all like it! Enjoy

 

**Chapter Four: Arrow-cave Tug Of War**

5 minutes of utter silence and awkward stares made Felicity very uncomfortable. But when Oliver woke from the trance he'd been in, the look in his eyes made her go from 'uncomfortable' to downright scared.

"Felicity" Oliver hissed. "A word. NOW!" And he marched toward the other side of the foundry, waiting for her to follow. Bruce gave her a comforting squeeze in the shoulder and she followed Oliver, trying very hard to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.

"What the hell were you thinking, letting them in here without so much as a warning!" Oliver was furious. This was the way he acted around the seediest of Staring's criminals, not to her. It made her cringe for a moment, before she remembered why she did it.

"I was thinking that we needed more info on Cobblepot, because if he's working with Merlyn, this could get really ugly, really fast. In case you forgot, Merlyn has an axe to grind with you. And he knows who you are, and who we are!" She stopped to take a breath before talking again. "They" she pointed towards the spot where Bruce and Dick were "know Cobblepot, and have way more information on him than we do."

Oliver blinked at that, because, she had a point. They needed all information they could get on the guy, and his connection to Merlyn. It didn't mean he had to like it. "Okay fine, you got me there. But how did they get into _our_ Arrow-cave? Did you give them the code?" he said, not backing down from her, and not letting his anger slip away.

Just as Felicity was about to kick him in the shins, or slap him in the face, at the mere suggestion she had told somebody the code to their sanctuary; Richard threw his arm around her shoulder and offered his two cents. "Dude, you do realize this is a basement, right. _Cave_ implies … well not this. And arrows don't live in caves, fyi." The look Oliver threw in Richard's direction was one of murderous rage, but Richard liked pushing buttons, and he wasn't done yet. "Also, Cookie here did not tell us the code. You see, we are what some people call _heroes_ , so it's basically in our job description to get into places we aren't invited to."

The looks the two men were giving each other gave Felicity goosebumps, because it was just that scary. This was not how it was supposed to go. She rubbed her eyes for a second, before shrugging off Richard's arm and positioning herself between the two.

"Okay, before this turns into a my-horse-is-bigger-than-your-horse pissing contest." She looked them both in the eyes, determined look on her face. "Let's just get this straight. I did not let them into our _lair_ , but seeing as they are both very intelligent men, they probably figured out their own way in. Secondly, _Richard_ , I do not now, nor have I ever, needed you to fight my battles for me. So, maybe you can take Bruce to my place, and we'll talk when I get home."

Richard glanced between Felicity and Oliver, trying to determine if he could leave her alone with him, but sighed and nodded. He walked over to Bruce, who was trying to calm down an excited Roy, who was very much fangirling like a 13 year old girl who just met her favorite One Direction member. He whispered something in the big man's ear and they both climbed up the stairs, turning every other step to see if Felicity was still okay.

* * *

When they left, Felicity turned back to Oliver, who was staring at the door that just closed, with a questioningly look in his eyes. She touched his arm gently, and his eyes found hers. He looked hurt and angry still, but the rage had left him the moment Richard walked out the door.

"Felicity, I don't know what's going on here, but I do know that you are keeping secrets. I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other." Her eyes narrowed at that statement, and she felt the anger bubbling up again. "Really Oliver? We don't keep secrets from each other? How about the island, hu? You give us the bare minimum of information and even then it's only because there's a mess you can't clean up yourself!"

"That's different Felicity, what the island did to me…" She stepped into his personal space, her index finger stabbing him in the chest. "No Oliver, you don't get to pull that card this time. You're not the only one with a troubled past. Not the only one with things they prefer to keep buried. In case you didn't notice, with all your wallowing, everyone here has a trauma. That is _why_ we are here."

She stepped back, dropped her hand and looked very sad, small and defeated for a moment, disappointment taking the place of anger. "So, if you decide you want to start paying attention to the rest of us, you know where to find me." And with that, she walked to her desk, picked up her things and walked up the stairs.

He turned towards the other members of his team. Their team. The looks they were giving him ranged from pity to anger. And he couldn't blame them. This is not the way he intended this night to go. At all.

* * *

When Felicity opened her door, she was greeted by a warm hug and a steaming cup of chocolate milk, with marshmellows. She leaned into the hug, like it was the only thing keeping her together. And maybe it was. She was just so tired of keeping things and lying and hiding.

"You look like you need a warm bath and some wine. But I hope hot chocolate will do, because I really don't think I should be liquoring up my grandbaby. I believe your mother would frown on that." She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled a sad smile. "You're right, I'm pretty sure she would have some choice words for that, but your chocolate milk will do just fine granddad."

She took the cup and headed into the living room, where her uncle and Richard were looking at a computer very intently, thankfully in their regular clothing this time. They looked up when she walked in. Richard opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand to silence him. "Not tonight Richard. I'm tired, stressed out and not in the mood. So please, not a word until I have had at least a solid 7 hours of sleep. She kissed her uncle and her grandfather on the cheek and headed into her bedroom. She was going to sleep, if it was the last thing she did.

Bruce and Richard looked at the door that just closed and shrugged. "Leave her be, you two, she's had a tough enough night, she doesn't need you two playing the over-protective roles. You can speak with her in the morning."

"I agree. Richard, you're staying here?" The younger man nodded. "Good, at least she won't be unprotected." He turned around to the older man standing in front of him and padded him on his shoulder. "You have a very brave granddaughter, but she's going to need more than just bravery this time I think." The older man smiled at that and said: "That's the way we raised her master Bruce, she'll figure it out. Now, shall I get the car?"


	5. Felicity's Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because I can't bear to keep you waiting... I know, it's another one without action. But I really wanted to tell Felicity's story, and I wanted it to be a sweet moment between her and Oliver.
> 
> I hope you guys like it, but either way, drop your comments down below. Because, you know, I need them like air :)

She heard her grandfather and Bruce leave her apartment, and Richard move around in the guest bedroom. She heard the neighbor's television playing really loudly. And she heard the city sounds outside her window. She heard all this, because she couldn't sleep. Despite her hope for a solid 7 hours and her fatigue, she knew too much had happened today. The arguments she'd had with Oliver during the day, the situation with Cobblepot and the hacks, Bruce in the foundry… It kept running through her mind, and kept her away from her sleep.

She lay there, in her bed, staring at the ceiling when she heard another sound. Two soft taps on the window, and again two after that.  _Really?_  She thought, while getting up and moving towards the window. Because she knew there was only one person who would be tapping on her 4th story window at 3 in the morning.

"What do you want, Oliver?" she asked while opening the window, annoyance clearly displayed in her tone. He sat there, on the fire escape holding a suspicious brown bag in his hand. "Can we talk?" he said it so soft and pleading, she felt her resolve fade. "Okay" She stepped aside to let him in, but he took her hand and pulled her up to the fire escape. He climbed the last two floors up, and sat down on the rooftop. She followed and sat down next to him, glad she had worn pants and a shirt to bed. Even in july, the nights can be cold, especially at 3 in the morning on a rooftop.

* * *

"Why are we up here Oliver?" He looked at her, and she saw regret burning in his eyes. "Felicity… I… What I said…. I'm sorry." It was always difficult for him to say he was sorry, to admit he might be wrong about something. "I still don't like that they know our base of operations, and I'm still upset about you sharing my secret with people I don't know. But I understand why you did what you did. You were right, Merlyn knows who we all are, and this isn't just my fight this time. And if you think they can help…"

"I do think they can help, I trust them with my life. And I trust them with the lives of the people I care for most. Like I trust you." He looked up at that statement. "I don't really deserve your trust. You were right, when you said I don't pay enough attention to the rest of you. It's not because I was on an island, that your pasts are less important, or less traumatizing. I guess we all have our island-pasts." She wasn't completely sure, but she might have seen unshed tears in his eyes when he said that. "Felicity, would you tell me your story?" he asked very softly, as if scared she'd take offence to the question. She was about to answer when he opened the brown bag and held up a pint of mint chocolat chip ice cream and two spoons.

She sighed, rubbed her eyes with her hands and took a spoon. "Okay. But Oliver, this is as hard for me to talk about as the island is for you. It's complicated and I don't even know where to start, but I'll try, just bear with me"

* * *

"My name is Felicity Megan Smoak, daughter of Julia Remarque and Antony Smoak. My childhood was pretty normal I guess, I'm was an only child and a total daddy's girl. But when I was about 12 my mother got ill. It started small, she slept longer, didn't put in as much effort to look nice. Then the inappropriate behavior started. She made sexual comments to everybody, including my friends; and one day she was arrested by the police because she peed on the sidewalk in front of the supermarket."

She paused to look at Oliver, who motioned her to continue. "They did all kinds of tests and after a few months, the diagnosis came. Frontotemporal dementia. It's a disease that affects the brain, and causes changes in behavior, numbing of emotions, speech and memory loss. My dad was devastated, and he spent every waking moment looking for answers and cures. He was so fixated on fixing my mom, that he forgot about me."

She wiped away a tear. "I started to spend all school holidays with my grandfather Alfred and his … well boss would not do their relationship justice, because Bruce is like a son to him. And an uncle to me. When I was 14 my dad disappeared. Turns out he'd done some pretty horrible things in his search for a cure, and the police was after him. So I went to live with my granddad and Bruce permanently. And my mother went to a care-facility specialized in patients with dementia."

"At around the same time, Richard came to live with Bruce. He and I got along instantly, despite the 2 year age difference. We spent every waking moment together, both at school and at home. Life was good again, even though my dad was still out there, and the thought of that scared me. I graduated along with Richard from high school, and we went on to MIT together."

"Boston was great. I loved it there, and me and Richard were a team not to be messed with. But he was keeping something from me. And you know me, I hate mysteries but I love puzzles. I snooped and dug, and by the time I was a sophomore I knew about Batman and Robin. I even designed a few of their gadgets."

"Bruce offered me a position with Wayne Enterprises when I graduated. But I felt a strong need to make it on my own, without being linked to the Wayne name. I didn't want to be Felicity niece of the boss. I just wanted to be Felicity, IT girl extraordinaire. He understood. So I took the job QC offered me, and I have no regrets about how my life turned out. I do miss Bruce and my grandfather. And Richard of course."

"They never wanted me to follow in their footsteps, they always wanted me to be safe. But then you showed up, bleeding all over my back seat and... I guess trying to save one's city rubs off on a person."

* * *

When Felicity was done telling her story, they sat together in comfortable silence, eating ice cream at 4 am. After a while Oliver asked about the runaway model airplane she told him about. "Yeah, that really happened. It just wasn't the first time we met. The first time we actually met, he was trying to steal one of Bruce's cars." She smiles at that memory.

Oliver said goodbye after that, thanking her for sharing her story. Promising her that when he was ready, she'd be the first to hear his.

She climbed back into her room and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She dreamt about her family, both the old one and the new one. Because, even though there wasn't really a blood relation, they really were her family. And she was very glad to have them, bad guys and bullet wounds included.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my take on Felicity's history. Keep in mind, i'm not a doctor, so the medical stuff is all from Google.
> 
> I hope I succeeded in explaining the relationship between Alfred - Felcity - Bruce - Richard... And I hope I didn't disappoint anybody with my version...


	6. Kept Feelings And Thrown Punches

She woke up to the smell of coffee, drifting towards her from somewhere nearby. She opened one eye, to find another, familiar blue eye staring back at her. Really close. She let out a little yelp and shot straight up.

"Damn it Richard! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She placed her hand over her heart to accentuate the statement. A look at the clock told her it was 8 AM, so only about 4 hours of sleep. Well, it was better than nothing she supposed.

"I figured you could use the coffee, since you were up pretty late last night, especially for somebody who wanted; was it 7? solid hours of sleep." He quirked up an eyebrow questioningly, trying to mask the hurt in his voice with sarcasm. She knew him to well though, for that trick to work. But since she had had only 4 hours of sleep, she would take the coffee first, before figuring out what had bruised Richard's ego.

A sip of the cup revealed that her friend still knew how she liked her java, and she savored the flavor of the Columbia Dark Roast. He had moved over to her window, mindlessly playing with the curtain while staring out into the city.

Richard had always been gorgeous. With piercing blue eyes, high cheekbones and dimples when he smiled. His dark hair was longer than she was used to, but it suited him very well. Framing his face with a carefully crafted nonchalance. He had always spend more time in the bathroom than she ever did, and that was saying something considering Felicity never left without going through her make up routine.

Seeing him standing there, she was reminded again about the first time they met.

_She'd been 14 at the time, and totally obsessed with learning how to drive, even though she was to young. So sometimes she snuck in the garage to sit in one of the cars Bruce owned, and pretended to drive. One night, she'd been sitting in the vintage 1967 Ford Mustang, way past her curfew when she'd heard a loud crack sounding through the garage. Ducking down just in time, when she saw a teenage boy stroll into the room. Looking like he owned the place. Which he most certainly didn't._

_He had walked past a few cars, until stopping in front of Bruce's 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish. When he pulled a weird looking metal thing out of his pants, she decided it was time to step in. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" She'd had the pleasure of seeing the boy jump several feet, before turning around. All blue eyes and cocky grin. He'd leaned back against the car, trying to act casual but she'd seen the way his eyes scanned the room. Looking for the easiest exit._

_And then the big man had come in. In one instance he'd assessed the situation, moving forward towards the boy. The crazy display of acrobatics the boy showed, involving backflips and even a summersault were to no avail, and Bruce had collared him, literally._

When he talked again, shaking her out of her musings, his voice sounded sad. "So, you didn't want to talk to me because you were tired. But when  _he_ came knocking, I guess sleep didn't matter." She was just about to speak, to say something, anything to refute his statement, when her phone rang. She leaned over to take it from the nightstand, but Richard was there first. He looked at the screen and threw the phone on the pillow next to her. "It's him." he said, before walking out of her bedroom. She heard her front door slam before she picked up.

* * *

He realized the slamming of the door might have been a little much. But he'd never been able to control his feelings very well around Felicity. She made him feel every emotion twice as hard. Like he was HDTV when she was around and just plain TV around everybody else. And the kicker? She never even noticed.

It had started the day they met, him trying to steal a car from the famous Bruce Wayne party-boy extraordinaire. Just as he was about to break into this sweet looking Aston; because joyriding was so much more fun in an expensive car; he'd heard a voice, calling him out. That was both really brave, and incredibly stupid, but all he could do was grin at her. He would never attack a girl that cute. All long arms and legs, curly auburn hair and incredibly blue eyes.

She had begged Bruce not to call the cops. Actually  _beg_. And when they found out who he was and where he came from, she'd begged again. This time to let him stay. He owed her the life he was living now. Because without her, he'd be in jail. Or dead.

But he never told her, how much she meant to him. The unwavering belief in his  _goodness_ , in his  _worth_  had made his life so much brighter. He just hoped that one day, she'd see him the way he saw her. See the love in his eyes, the special kind, reserved only for her.

He saw the same look in her eyes now, when she looked at Oliver. The hope shining when he noticed something about her, the sorrow when he hurt her. The only difference between Felicity and Oliver was that while Felicity had no idea of Richard's feelings for her, Oliver definitely knew about her feelings. And he abused them, for his personal gain. Pulling her close when it suited him and pushing her away again when he was done. Hurting her.

It turned out his 'aimless' wondering hadn't been so aimless after all, because when he looked up he found himself standing in front of QC tower. He knew it was a bad idea when he opened the door and walked in, but in that moment, the only thing he could think about was hurting Oliver as much as he was hurting Felicity.

* * *

She had a weird feeling, stepping out of the elevator on the executive floor of QC. It was to quiet. She rounded the corner heading to her office, and froze in the middle of the hallway, Styrofoam coffee-cup hitting the floor.

Oliver was standing in front of his desk, his left hand holding his right ribs and his left brushing at his bloody lip. Richard was standing across the room, clenching his fist to his chest, a bruise already starting to show on his cheekbone. Both men were glaring at each other, as if trying to murder the other with only a look.

The office looked even worse than the men did. Oliver's phone and computer were thrown off the desk and there were papers all over the floor. The chairs were all turned over and the glass coffee-table was shattered. What the hell had happened here?

Leaving the spilled coffee for what it was, she all but ran into the office already prepping her Loud Voice. "What the HELL is going on here?!" She looked between the two men furiously, waiting for one of them to give her an answer.

"He just came storming in here like…" Oliver started at the same time Richard said "This asshole got what was…" She threw her hands up, motioning them to shut it. Narrowing her eyes she stepped a little closer to the men. "You are both grown ass men! What the hell possessed you to start throwing punches, in the middle of the damn office!?" They both started up again, but again she motioned for them to stop. "You know what?! Don't even answer that, I decided I don't care. I'm not in the mood to deal with your childish stupidity! And clean this stuff up!"

She stormed out of the office to the elevator, which Digg was just exiting. "You deal with them," she told him "because I'm  _so_  not in the mood." Leaving Digg standing in the hallway, a look of utter confusion on his face, she stepped in the elevator and hit the button.

Richard had been in town for only 3 days, and than  _this_  happened. She should have known. Shaking her head the rode the elevator down. She really should have known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the boys are kind off being total jackasses... but well, we can all understand where Richard is coming from, right? So, who will be able to calm Felicity down? And what will that lead to? Who's heart will get broken?
> 
> Keep on keeping on, and maybe you'll find out!
> 
> Sing me a pretty tune, sing monkeys, sing! Or just drop a comment down below!


	7. Grandfathers, Luches and Retail Therapy

Richard knew there would be hell to pay, the moment his fist made contact with Oliver Queen's face. Oh, he wasn't worried about Queen Security, because please… He wasn't scared of repercussions, because he liked an old-fashioned fistfight. But, there was one thing he was very afraid of. Felicity's wrath.

He'd been on the receiving end of her wrath a few times in the past. The first time was when he'd 'accidentally' told his teammate she was in to him when she was 15. She'd torpedoed his grade point average when she found out.

In their final year of high school he had nominated her for student body president. She was not happy with that. As revenge, she had sent him an e-mail bomb full of porn ads during his computer class, and the sound was on. He'd spent 3 weeks in detention for that.

The last time was in college. There had been a misunderstanding regarding the time and place of a date, and Richard may or may not have been the cause of the misunderstanding. Either way, she got her revenge good. She'd messed with his class schedule, and he'd spent the rest of the semester in 'Intro to woman's & gender studies', 'politics of sexuality' and 'Womanism'.

After that they had a nice talk, meaning she did a lot of talking in her Loud Voice, and he spaced out but nodded a lot. But she got her point across, Felicity does not take kindly to 'ask forgiveness instead of permission'.

So when his fist met Oliver's face, he was already thinking about all the things she could do to him to make him pay for it. But when she walked in, and saw them standing there, the evidence of a fight clear around them, the first thing that flashed on her face was hurt. She used anger to mask her disappointment, but he knew her to well. This was not going to be fixed by her doing something computer related and him groveling and begging for a week.

* * *

There were only a few people who could comfort Felicity when she was in a 'mood'. And when two of those people were the cause of the mood, it seriously limited her options. Luckily, she didn't need to make a trip to Gotham, to find somebody else to talk her down.

Her grandfather was always understanding, and kind. After all, he knew Richard as well as she did, and he knew how Richard could get himself into trouble very easily. But Alfred also knew that almost everything Richard did was out of love for Felicity, and he could hardly fault the man for that.

Alfred knew that Richard had been looking out for Felicity since the moment they met. He'd discouraged certain boys from getting to close, even beat up her prom date because he'd booked a hotel room to take her to. He stood by her in high school when she was shunned by her classmates because she was too young. And he loved her always.

This punching of Oliver Queen was only the last in a long line of stupid things he did. In his mind to protect her no doubt, but really just the latest way of getting her to notice him. Because, event with an IQ of 168, Felicity could be really dense sometimes. And maybe, it was about time somebody pointed that out to her.

"Darling, why do you think Richard punched Oliver?" he asked her, when she was finished telling her story. "I don't know granddad. I don't know why he does half the things he does. It's like he can't stand that I have a life outside of Wayne Manor. You do remember the time he beat up my prom date right? And that guy I was seeing in college... "

She hadn't known about the hotel room. Richard never told her why he punched her date. He just took her anger and the subsequent silent treatment without so much as blinking and waited for her to forgive him. That time she'd taken about 3 weeks.

"It's like he doesn't care. Doesn't care enough to at least _try_ to get along with Oliver. He's my boss and my friend, and I really wish Richard would at the very least be civil to him." She continued, with a sob. "I really don't get it."

Alfred observed his granddaughter while she was sobbing. He knew that she didn't allow herself to see why Richard did what he did, what he does best. When Richard came to live at Wayne Manor, the only one that could get through to him was Felicity. And she had grown very attached to Richard. She'd fallen in love with him. But Richard was a 16 year old boy back then, and while he probably loved Felicity, he wasn't old enough to know how to handle that. So he did what teenage boys do best, date everybody _but_ Felicity.

And Alfred was grateful for that. Because neither Felicity nor Richard were emotionally stable enough, not to mention old enough at that time to really know what a relationship entailed. So Felicity had locked her feelings away so deep that by the time Richard was ready for her, she'd forgotten about it.

"Felicity, it's not that Richard doesn't care about you. Have you ever considered he does what he does because he cares _to much_?"

* * *

After she left the hotel where her grandfather and Bruce were staying, she walked around the city for a while rehashing what her grandfather told her. Until her stomach told her it might be lunchtime. She was just walking to her favorite little café when Bruce caught up with her.

"So, I hear Oliver met Richard's best side this morning." He said while putting an arm around her shoulder. "I can't pretend I don't take a little joy in that, because of your nightly activities, but I do believe punching him wasn't the best way to start a healthy business relationship." Felicity glared at him for that, because not everything was about business, daytime or nighttime.

Bruce followed her into the café ordering them both salad and a drink. "I know you've been talking to your grandfather about this, but if you don't mind me putting in my two cents." He looked at her and waited for her to nod her consent before continuing. "I know you've been repressing your feelings, it's what you usually do when they aren't _rational_ enough for your liking. But, how about you open that little can of worms, just this once. And allow yourself to see Richard like you used to, when the _dynamic duo_ wasn't about crime-fighting."

She was just about to answer her uncle, when the waitress brought her their lunch, and Bruce quickly and efficiently changed the subject. They talked about her life in Starling, and what was going on with Wayne Enterprises in Gotham. Just like they used to, when their lunch 'dates' were spent in his office while playing card games and laughing.

When they were finished, they said their goodbyes as Bruce needed to go back to work. It seemed he was actually in town for legitimate WE business as well as _other_ ones. He kissed her on the cheek and hugged her very tightly before hopping into a cab, and leaving her alone again with too much to think about.

Thinking about _emotional_ stuff, always called for retail therapy. And, since she effectively gave herself the day off, she decided to make good use of it.

* * *

Richard had received word from both Alfred and Bruce, that Felicity was okay and that she needed some time to figure things out. If he just left her alone for a little while, she'd forgive him.

It was hard for him, leaving her alone. The past few years he'd tried very much to forget her, at least in a romantic way. But with every Skype call or e-mail or visit back home, he fell again. She was even more amazing now then she was back in high school. Back when she tried to make him coconut cookies before a big game.

He'd always told her that's why he named her 'Cookie'. Because she couldn't bake if her life depended on it. And while that was true, it wasn't the only reason. It wasn't even the most important reason. He called her 'cookie' because that's what she was to him. Sweet and delicious and addictive. And he knew that if he took one bite, he'd be hooked for life. He never was one to just eat one cookie after all.

* * *

She dropped her bags in her hallway when she came home later that day. She'd put a serious dent in her savings, but she was feeling better anyway. Even though she had a _trust fund_ (she would never admit to being a _trust fund kid_ ), she never used the money unless she absolutely had to. In all the time she lived in Starling, she'd only used the platinum Amex Bruce gave her 2 times. One time to buy some furniture for her apartment and once to buy some computer equipment she may or may not use for Arrow business.

She kicked off her shoes, because while she loved shopping and she loved those shoes, the two of them didn't mix very well. She snorted at that though, _like some other things I love that don't mix_.

She turned on her television and flipped through the channels, waiting for Richard to come home so they could _chat_. She stopped flipping and turned up the sound when she saw a picture of herself and Bruce holding her hand while at lunch that day. When she heard the comments that accompanied the picture, she all but fainted.

_"Gotham billionaire Bruce Wayne was caught flirting with mysterious blonde at lunch today. They appeared very familiar with each other, holding hands and whispering. A source in the café tells us that they seemed oblivious to the world around them, and even though the goodbye was quite chaste, there was tension in the air and a definite promise for more. TMZ will keep you updated as to where this Starling-Gotham romance might go."_

She didn't even hear the door closing, or feel Richard moving to sit beside her. Because all Felicity could think about in that moment was: _Oh no, this really is the end of 'just' Felicity!_


	8. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story is going to get the 100th review on Fanfiction.net; so i'm hoping there will be some more reviews here as well..
> 
> So please, when you read, leave your two cents at the bottom!! Thanks!

She woke up the next morning, not fully aware of where she was. Her head was pounding like an SOB and her eyes were so puffy she must look like an alien. Then the events of the evening before sunk in. _Oh god, this day is going to suck_ she thought to herself when she attempted to sit up. Only, her movements were slightly constricted by an arm that was draped over her waist.

_She didn't hear Richard come in, because she was so focused on the television. The segment about her and Bruce was over, but she just kept staring. Kept hoping they did not air what they did. Was it April 1_ _st_ _? Because this sounded like an April-fool joke._

_She heard the faraway sound of a phone ringing, but didn't know what or where. Nor did she care. She was stuck in limbo, time had stopped and all there was, was the segment on TMZ and the picture of her and Bruce._

_She broke down about two seconds later. Two seconds of trying to find a logical, rational explanation about what had been on TV. Two more seconds of coming up empty. She cried, silently first, but soon the sobs were so loud she might make herself deaf just by listening._

After that, Richard had taken her in his arms and just held her. He let her snot-cry all over his shirt while he rubbed her back and made soothing noises. When her tears dried, he picked her up and carried her to bed. When she didn't let him go, he nudged off his shoes and lay beside her. She'd fallen asleep in his arms, snuggled against the warmth that was her… well, her Richard.

When she tried to slide out from under his arm, he subconsciously hugged her tighter to his chest. His face buried in her neck, the tip of his nose behind her ear and his breath warm on her skin. The feeling was… nice. Even more than nice actually. It made her stomach do a little flip-flop, and goose bumps skit all across her body. Maybe she could hide from the world, and the press just a little while longer, just a few more hours. She smiled a little, snuggled in her blanket and Richard and fell asleep again. Sure that while she slept, Richard would keep the world away.

* * *

He'd woken up at about the same time she did. The night before he had contemplated leaving after she fell asleep, but she was holding on to him as if her life depended on it. And he couldn't bear to leave her. He allowed himself the pleasure of being next to her, holding her. Even if it meant heartbreak the next morning.

Trying to keep his breathing steady, to see what she would do. To see if she would freak out because he was in her bed, holding her. But she remained silent. And when she tried to move his arm away from her, he'd hugged a little closer, letting out a soft snore for emphasis. When she decided to stay in bed and even snuggle _closer_ , the tight coil in his gut relaxed and he nuzzled her neck. This was the _only_ good way to start one's morning.

* * *

When they woke again at 10, they found themselves rather tangled up and both flushed beet red. Telling themselves it was from the heat their bodies had created. But really, it was out of shyness, as neither of them knew how the other would react to their… sleeping arrangement. They had been woken by some annoying sound, neither quite sure what the it was. They got up, both trying really hard not to stare at the other, but failing miserably. And every time their eyes met, they both smiled a little. The talk with her grandfather and Bruce and the comforting the previous night had shifted something between them. Neither of them knew what, or how exactly, but they both hoped they would get the chance to figure things out. _After_ this whole press-mess.

Walking into the main area of her apartment, Felicity saw her grandfather grounding coffee beans in the kitchen. _Ah, that explains the sound_ she thought, while walking over to him to peck him on the cheek. She heard the rustling of paper coming from the living room couch and saw Bruce sitting there, newspaper in hand, looking very… very _something_.

She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "Do you have a press release yet? To correct this …" She flapped her hands between them. "A press release is not going to cut it this time. They already have their new story." He picked up the remote control and turned the sound of the TV back on.

… **despite what our previous reports stated. The blond woman in question, Felicity Smoak, is the granddaughter of Alfred Pennyworth. Pennyworth is the long-time confidant and care taker of Wayne, and had been his guardian after the tragic death of his parents when he was a boy. New sources close to Wayne have stated that miss Smoak is like a niece to Wayne, having taken care of her since her father left her when she was 14. ….**

It went on to talk about her father, and the things he did. So now she hadn't only lost her anonymity but she was once again associated with the criminal that was her father. "I'm so sorry my darling." Her grandfather said, giving her a hug. "It's not fair they drenched all this stuff back up." She leaned in the hug, allowing her grandfather to comfort her a little. When he let go, she dropped on the couch next to Bruce, to see what the newspaper said. It wasn't a whole lot better.

**QC executive assistant is Wayne heir**

"I've arranged a press conference later today, together with Oliver Queen, to satisfy the media's thirst for gossip. Hopefully they will stop digging after that. But on the bright side, both QC and WE stock went up when the news of your employment broke. It seems the investors believe there will be a big future for Wayne-Queen mergers." He said it in a way that made her suspect the news wasn't so bright, but she wasn't really in the mood for business today. Not when her whole life just turned topsy-turvy.

Her uncle wrapped her in a hug, whispering that it would all blow over soon before he stood to leave. He gave Richard a look that he interpreted as 'careful but supportive' and walked to the door. Alfred said his goodbyes to Felicity and Richard, giving the man a little smile, before following Bruce to the car.

* * *

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Richard turned to Felicity and said "So, what do you want to do today?" Felicity looked at him like he was a lunatic, for even suggesting they would go _out_ today. No way! She was going to stay in her apartment, possibly until she was old and wrinkled. Because, there was no way this would blow over soon, no matter what Bruce said or how many press conferences he held. The life as she knew it was over, that was for damn sure.

There was only one little bright spot that came from this ordeal. The way Richard had comforted her the night before. The way he had just let her cry and held her. That was the way she felt love was supposed to feel. Leaning on the other when things got rough. Sharing feelings and supporting each other. Not hiding away and sulking and playing blame games. No, the night before had told Felicity that her grandfather and uncle might be right. Richard _did_ care for her, a lot. He had stayed with her, holding her when she fell asleep. And even though she was miserable with this whole media situation, she smiled a little at the way she felt when she woke up. How _safe_ she felt being in Richard's arms.

She turned to Richard, who was flipping through the newspaper Bruce had left. She really _looked_ at him now. Seeing him like she saw him when they were 16. Before she hid her feelings away, afraid of being hurt. He was the only one who really got her, no matter what she told him. And she was the only one who could get through to him when he was losing it. They knew each other inside and out. Had so many inside jokes they could spend an entire evening just laughing. They were _in tune_ with each other. She can't believe she had thought the day before that Richard didn't care for her. Her grandfather was right, he cared a lot.

The shell she had built up inside her, to keep all her non-platonic Richard feelings at bay, crumbled while she was staring at him. She remembered all the times other people had assumed they were a couple, because they were so close. And even though the past few years had been strained sometimes, they were always there for each other.

Richard felt her staring at him and turned to face her, a little concerned with the intensity in her eyes. He figured she was over analyzing them 'sleeping' together and was already starting to pull away again. He opened his mouth to speak, but he never got the chance. Her lips were on his in an instant, and he lost all the thoughts in his head. Just enjoying the movement of her lips on his.

* * *

In an isolated cell somewhere deep underground, the guards heard frustrated screams and ripping paper. It seems that there was one other female who did not like the news about Felicity and Bruce that broke that day. She did not like it one bit.


	9. Oliver's Inner Monologue

Oliver's week was a nightmare. First, Richard came into town. All cocky and confident, but not in an asshole way. Even though he hates to admit it, Richard is probably a really good guy. Except for the fact that he knows Felicity better than Oliver does, and that just irks him. It's because he thinks Felicity's life revolves around him, and their arrow business. He's not used to sharing, and he hates it when other people know things he doesn't. He should have known there is more to Felicity then meets the eye. Not just a genius IT / technical sidekick. Get your head on straight Oliver, she's a real person, she has a life outside of you. He should have asked, showed her he does care about the things behind the superficial Felicity.

She'd yelled at him for that. And he had deserved it. But he went to apologize and she'd told him about herself, in a way she'd never done before. She'd exposed a little of her softer underbelly, trusting him not to share her secrets. Trusting him to be her friend.

And then he'd gone and had a fight with her oldest friend. It doesn't matter who started it. It only matters that she saw it, and he saw the hurt and disappointment in her eyes. So did Richard for that matter. But he hadn't offered an explanation for the fight, not that Oliver really needed one.

_Richard had marched into his office, not even bothering to knock. He strode over to Oliver's desk, clear determination on his face. Without stopping he pulled back his arm and landed a punch on Oliver's eye. The punch was hard enough to send Oliver spinning in his desk chair. But he regained his focus fast, and soon they were in a full blown fight. Chairs toppled over, glass broke, office supplies flew around the room. And when they broke apart, seizing the other up, trying to find the next move, she had walked in. And stormed out._

After that, there was this ridiculous TMZ segment that stated Felicity was Bruce Wayne's secret love. He could just imagine the shock on Felicity's face when she found out what they were saying. She had told him, the night before on the roof, that she came to Starling to get a fresh start. To not be 'the Wayne heir' or whatever. She wanted to make it on her own accord. And one stupid story made that impossible. He knew they would have to counter with the truth, or at least a fraction of it. That meant Felicity's anonymity was really over. She was no longer EA to Oliver Queen CEO and occasional guest at formal functions. No longer the relative unknown blonde friend. Now, in a span of only 12 hours, she'd gone from secret affair to forbidden love to end up an WE heir.

 _He had tried calling her when he saw the segment, but she didn't answer. He didn't know if it was because she didn't want to talk, or just didn't want to talk to_ him _. He had paced around for a while, trying to clear his head, making Digg very nervous. He picked up his bow and told Digg he was going to patrol. To have something to do. He didn't mean to wander over to Felicity's part of town. It was subconscious, a strange pull that made him gravitate closer to the blonde. And then he found himself crouching on her fire-escape, like the night before. Except, she was asleep this time. And she wasn't alone._

So, now he was pacing his office, trying to shake the awful few days he'd had. Richard, the yelling at the foundry, the fighting, the TMZ story, and Felicity in Richard's arms in her bed. He knew she would be better off with him, he was stable at least. Oliver was.. well, the easy answer would be 'not'. But it was much more complicated than that. Oliver was not the man he wanted to be, yet. He was getting closer for sure. But he was still secretive, closed off, blunt and aggressive and prone to run. And, like he had said to Felicity so many weeks ago, because of the life he leads, he shouldn't be with someone he could care about.

But he hadn't meant the Arrow life, because Felicity was an integral part of that life, risking her own safety for the good of the city. And she'd told him time and time again that she was a big girl and her decisions were her own. No, he'd meant the life he was trying to rebuild. The life in which he shook off the burden that was the O _ld_ Oliver but at the same time trying to find some of his old self again. He needed to find the balance between being happy and good. Putting his past behind him, but not forgetting. At first he thought he would find a part of the Old Oliver with Laurel and McKenna and Sara. But that really wasn't _finding_ his past as much as it was _clinging_ to his past. He found that the _'good'_ part of this New Oliver came from his protecting the city, and the belief his friends had in him and his vow to his lost 'brother'. He hadn't quite mastered the ' _happy_ ' part yet. And until he did, there was no chance for him and Felicity, because he needed her to be happy. He just hoped he would find it. And that he would find it in time.

* * *

The press conference was… a press conference. Bruce did a lot of the talking, explaining that Felicity was his family, and he would prefer to keep his family out of the spotlight if they didn't want it. He told everybody that his niece found her own way in the world, on her own merit. Bruce was not ashamed of his niece, merely respecting her wish not to interfere in her life. And Felicity was not ashamed of being in the Wayne family, but just determined to be her own person.

Oliver had spaced out a little, still seeing the picture of Felicity in Richard's arms. But feeling that it was a good place for her to be, for now. When he was ready, felt himself be the man he wanted to be. The man she showed him was inside. Well.. let's just say that when he was ready, Richard's right hook would be nothing compared to the punch Oliver was going to throw.

When it was his turn to speak, Oliver took the stage and said his thanks to Bruce. He reiterated that Felicity did thank her position within QC to her own hard work and love for the company. He trusted her completely. There was no corporate espionage, there were no plans to merge QC and WE. There were however talks about a joint venture when it came to R&D. When Oliver was done, both Bruce and he walked off the stage, ignoring the questions the press threw at them. They had said all they needed and wanted to say.

* * *

Felicity smiled when she saw the press conference. Especially the part where Oliver said he trusted her. He was important to her and he will always hold a special place in her heart. But she had decided that morning, when her lips had touched Richard's, that she would give this thing between herself and her best friend a chance. And even though they still had a lot to talk about, to figure out, it really felt good.


	10. Remember The First Kiss

She came into the Foundry later that night, hearing the comforting sounds of her home away from home. The steady one-two-punch of Digg and Sara sparring, the woosh of arrows flying at targets and the curses that followed when Roy missed his target, again. And the familiar clinking noise of Oliver on the salmon ladder. No matter the complications she had in her life at the moment, she always felt at ease and safe down here. Who would have thought that a cold, damp basement would mean that much to her. But it did, it does. It gives her a place in the world, a purpose.

She still finds it strange, because no matter how much Bruce, Richard and her grandfather mean to her, she never even contemplated joining them. Sure, she upgraded their systems on a regular basis. And she helped them in the gadget department sometimes. But she never had felt they really _needed_ her in a more practical way. They had a good dynamic going on with just the 3 of them, and Lucius on occasion and she really didn't want to disrupt that. That and, well Bruce wouldn't have let her, even if she wanted to. To dangerous, to risky, to…

But Oliver, he needed her. Not just to update his system, but to keep him alive out there. To watch his back and to help him succeed. Team Batman didn't need her, but Team Arrow did. Which is of course why she was down here, they had a job to do. Intel to collect, actions to be discussed, steps to be taken.

When she plopped her purse down next to the computer desk, Oliver jumped off the ladder and stood beside her. His eyes conveyed all he needed to say. I'm sorry, are you okay, do you need anything… He didn't need to say the actual words for her to understand. And he didn't need words from her to know she was dealing with it.

"Where's Bruce?" he asked, because he figured the Bat-crew would join them down here. She took a seat at her desk and said "He went home to Gotham. His official Wayne Enterprises business in Starling is done. And we figured there was no need for Batman to be spotted in Starling, because we have our own hero protecting the city." He let out a breath of relief. Not that he didn't admire Bruce and the way he kept his city and his people safe. But this was _Oliver's_ city, and he had his own way of protecting it.

"And.. Richard?" He really didn't want to ask that question, because he was pretty sure that Richard's business in Starling was sitting right in front of him. "He's upstairs, having a drink. He wants to help, because there is still a Gotham interest in Cobblepot. But he won't do anything without us. He agreed to follow our lead. This is _our_ city after all. He's just backup in case we need him." Oliver was pretty damn sure he would never, ever _need_ Richard Grayson, but saying that to Felicity right now might be a very bad idea.

It's not because he sort of had an epiphany about his life and his feelings for her, he would warm up to the other guy. There were limits to his self-discovery after all. "Let's just see what we have right now, sift through the information and see if we can find solid leads to the whereabouts of Merlyn and the connection to the drugs and arms in Gotham. We'll come up with a game-plan after that." He picked up his towel and headed toward the bathroom.

* * *

Felicity started setting up parameter searches on the hard drive, as well as the information Bruce had gathered in Gotham. She also established a secure link to the Batcave, because she figured that with both cities involved (and thus also both teams) there would have to be some form of communication between them.

Sara wondered over to Felicity just when she was about to test the connection. "So, what's the deal with you and this Richard? You a thing? An ex-thing? A fling?" Felicity looked up at Sara, not quite knowing what to say. She let her mind wander back to earlier that day, when her lips let go of Richard's.

" _What was that about?" he asked her, eyes shining with a happiness she didn't hear in his voice. He was taking great effort in not sounding to eager, too pleased at the move she'd made. She waited a little while before answering, because she wanted to find the right words to explain._

" _You remember the day after I got my first kiss? And you found me in my room crying, because I found out that the kiss was a cruel joke?" Richard nodded. He remembered that day really well. She'd been 15 at the time and had been invited to a party of one of the cheerleaders. He had figured the cheerleader wanted to get with him, and invited Felicity to get on his good side. He was wrong, at least partially._

_They had invited her to make fun of her, to break her. Because the cheerleader in question was jealous of the time Richard spent with his sort of cousin and best friend. And she wanted revenge. So she roped some jock into kissing Felicity, and then continued to spread vicious rumors about her in school. That she was a really bad kisser. That she tried to go all the way and the guy had to push her away. That she was desperate for sex._

_He'd heard the rumors in the hallways, and went looking for Felicity. Finding her crumpled up on her bed and crying her eyes out made him see red. The next day he'd copied the little notes he'd gotten from the cheerleader (which were not at all dignified, and all of them signed) and put a copy in every locker. He'd also introduced his fist to that jock's face._

" _Yes, I remember that day. You were heartbroken, but surprisingly not as much about the sex rumors as about the bad kisser rumors." She smiled a little at that. "I had never kissed anybody, and I wanted to be kissed again in the future. I was sure that being a bad kisser would ruin my chances at ever being kissed again. I guess I had very screwed up priorities back then." Richard took her hand and rubbed his thumb across the palm of her hand. "I also remember saying that every first kiss is bad, because nobody knows what they are doing. And that a boy would be really lucky to get to kiss you." "And then you did. You kissed me. And you told me that it was the best kiss you'd ever had, and to remember it as being the first kiss willingly given. And then you winked at me, and left."_

_Richard shook his head at that memory. He'd wanted to kiss her more, but she was so upset and fragile, he didn't want to risk it. Or their friendship. He didn't want her to think he kissed her out of pity. "You never spoke of it after that. I figured you just wanted to forget it." His voice had taken on a sad quality when he said that. She put her hand under his chin and pulled it a little closer. "Richard, that was the day I fell in love with you." And she leaned in and kissed him again._

Sara was looking at her expectantly when she shook out of her musings. Felicity drew in a breath before speaking. "Richard and I, we're… figuring things out. It won't be easy, but we've decided to give what's between us a try." Sara nodded, and turned to the salmon ladder, and the soft clinking noise lulled Felicity back into her Arrow-zone.

* * *

There was nothing but silence coming from the ARGUS lock-up cell. The resident inside deep in thought. She had this deep seeded hate for the blonde EA/IT-girl/Wayne heir, because Felicity had cost her _everything_. She had cost her her company, her companion, her freedom. And her bubbly personality and her friendship with Oliver had always rubbed her the wrong way. She had everything that was supposed to be hers. A rich and doting family, friends who think she hung the moon. It was all too much. She needed to get out of this cell, she needed to destroy Felicity Smoak, just like Felicity Smoak destroyed her.

A slow smile spread across the brunette's face, at the thought of all she would do when she got her hands on Felicity. And it was still eerily quiet in the ARGUS facility.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to update more frequent, i really do.. it's just been really hectic and busy (just bought a house and all that stuff...) but my vacation starts soon, so hopefully i'll get some more writing done, an can update more gradually...

5 hours, 6 cups of coffee and an entire pint of Mint Chocolate Chip ice-cream later she gave up. It was – she glanced at the bottom right corner of her screen – 3 AM and she'd gotten absolutely nowhere. All the parameters she could put in, wouldn't do her any good if she couldn't crack the strange code in which all the info was written. It's not like she expected to find a file labeled ' _My nefarious plans with Malcolm Merlyn'_ , but seriously? It's got to be one really paranoid dude to code all the info on a super secured hard drive. She ground out her frustration, rolled her neck back and forth, and tried not to throw something across the room. With her aim, it would probably hit one of her babies. She sighed, reached down to put her shoes back on and stood.

"Have you found anything?" Oliver's voice coming from directly behind her, made her jump up and squeal a little. She turned around, hand firmly pressed against her fast beating heart and scowled at him. "One of these days Oliver, you'll have to go and find yourself a new tech-girl…" Oliver's heart dropped at that statement, she wasn't really thinking about leaving, was she? "… because you will one day scare me to death!" She finished her sentence and his eyes flashed relief. "Sorry, I just saw you packing up and wondered if you had found something." Her shoulders dropped a little. She wasn't used to letting him down, and this particular case really got on her last nerve. Unfortunately, wishing it was over soon wouldn't do anything about the tension that had formed in the team. Because, when this case was over, Richard would still be here, with her. And Oliver would still not like him, and Richard would still not like Oliver. This was going to make for awkward birthday-parties.

"No Oliver, I didn't find anything. That drive is in code. And since I'm neither a specialized code-breaker nor Robert Langdon, I'm not sure I will be able to find anything out. What we need, is a linguist, or something like that, to 'translate' this code into normal people wording. But alas, we don't have that particular gift in our pool right now." She shrugged apologetically and walked over to the stairs. "I've got several comparison programs running, but if we don't have the key, I don't think we'll be able to understand any of it. And I'm too tired now to try and find any other solution. So, I'm going to go home, sleep like I haven't slept in days – which is true by the way – and will not be at QC in the morning. Consider this me taking the morning off."

* * *

When she woke the next morning, or actually more like the next noon, she was feeling… well, more rested for sure. She was however not feeling more confident. She knew there was no way she would be able to break that code without the key. Unfortunately that key could be anything. A name, a sentence, lyrics to a song,… you name it, and it could be a key. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Or no, more like looking for one specific needle in a really, _really_ big stack of needles. And probably infinitely more dangerous. She supposed it would be too easy if the man had just taped the key to the bottom of his stapler, like some of those idiots at QC did. Because really, why would you even need a frigging password if you just lay it out, for everybody to find.

This whole thing was giving her a major headache. It was so much all at once. She had to keep an eye on the city, had to crack everything from the secured servers of several government agencies to stupid little thumb-drives, had to keep Roy from doing stupid things (like she was his damn mother) and had to keep Richard and Oliver apart as much as possible. And all that was not even her regular day job. No on top of all that, she had to make sure Oliver's schedule was organized, brief him about meetings and conferences and do all of his damn research. Next time they had a relative crime-free period, she was going on a vacation. Somewhere sunny and beachy with coconut cocktails and cute little umbrellas. The last time she was away from Starling City had been to that god forsaken island in China, and even though it had a beach, it also had land mines instead of fruity drinks. And that was not her idea of a good time.

Resigned to another long and difficult day, she got out of bed and into the bathroom. A nice long shower would certainly do her some good. As would coffee, the special blended kind, the one Oliver always gave her as a New year's present.

* * *

When she got into her living room, her mouth dropped open. It's not every day you see two 6-feet-somethings glaring at each other in the middle of your apartment, while both carrying cups of delicious smelling godly nectar. She'd walked right into another pissing-match it seemed.

"… no right to come here! She's _my_ girlfriend, or didn't you get the memo. I was pretty sure I told my secretary to send you one specifically!" Richard growled at Oliver, who was getting more furious with every word coming out of the other man's mouth. "First of, I have _every_ damn right. She's my best friend and my partner in both businesses, and if I want to check on her I will. Secondly, you do realize you just called your own girlfriend a 'secretary' by association, right?! And _nobody_ likes a gloater." Felicity realized at that time, they had no idea what so ever that she was standing there. Which was totally out of character for both men, you know, being the superhero type.

"Yeah well, I wouldn't have to rub it in your face if you knew your damn place! She's not _your_ girlfriend, thank god, what with all the crap you've put her trough over the past years, you're lucky she's even willing to work with you at all!" "Yeah well, from what I heard, you don't exactly have the best track record with her either. Care to elaborate on the whole 'sleeping with every girl in her study-group' thing? Because I'm sure she didn't mind that at all! At least I'm honest in my behavior. She knows I'm not the guy everybody sees me as, I'm just not so sure she knows what kind of guy you really are!" At that point Felicity had heard enough, and stepped into the room with a small cough. Both men turned to face her, cheeks slightly red and eyes landing everywhere but on her.

"Wow… I.. Just, WOW. I really have no words for this.. which might be a first in my whole damn life." They both just stood there, coffee in hand, looking like children busted with their hands in the cookie jar. She walked over to the front door, picked up a pair of bright yellow ballet-flats and her purse. "I am going out. I don't want either of you following me. If I do see anybody, I might just take my vacation a little earlier than planned. You two, I can't even look at you right now. You should have heard yourselves. Acting like little children fighting over a toy. So, I will say this only once. I am nobody's property. I make my own damn decisions and I think so far, I've made them very well. So at this point, I'm choosing to walk away and not make an even bigger scene right now. But trust me, this isn't over. Not by a long shot.

And with that, she opened her door and walked out. Shutting it just a little more forcefully than strictly necessary, to convey just how upset she really was. So now, she not only had to hide from the press, but also from her best friend and her boyfriend. Because if she didn't hide, and cleared her head, she was sure they would be neither anymore when she was done. And she wasn't really keen on loose either of those relationships.


End file.
